Medical engineers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a chip implant that could be used to monitor
tumours that are hard to operate on or growing slowly.
The snappily named IntelliTuM (Intelligent Implant for Tumour
Monitoring) device, which is intended to be implanted in the tissue
near the tumour, can detect a drop in the oxygen content of the
patient's tissue fluid, which indicates that the tumour is growing
more aggressively. The data can then be wirelessly transmitted to a
doctor who can decide on the right therapy.
Brain tumours can be difficult to operate on if there is a risk
of damaging the surrounding nerve tissues. Other cancers, such as prostate carcinoma, grow very slowly and
generally affect older patients. In both cases operating on a
tumour can reduce the patient's quality of life without extending
life expectancy, but the sensor can monitor
the tumour's development and if it starts to grow more quickly, the
patient's doctor can then recommend an operation or chemotherapy.
By being continuously monitored, the patient doesn't need to have
so many check-ups at the hospital.
The device -- which is a few centimetres long and contains a
sensor chip, analysis electronics, transmitter and batteries -- has
passed early tests with cell and tissue cultures and will be tested
in animals next. The challenge is to ensure that it delivers
accurate readings over a long period of time and make sure it isn't
rejected thanks to using biocompatible plastic housing.
The package needs to be shrunk if it is to be implanted into cancer patients with minimally invasive surgery and the
researchers want to add sensors that measure acidity and
temperature as well. The team is also developing a miniature
medication pump that could release chemotherapeutic agents directly
to the tumour.